“About a third left after a year”: this is how German emigrants experience Switzerland

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300,000 Germans live in Switzerland. They form the second largest group of foreigners after the Italians. While some emigrants feel completely at home in Switzerland, others are faced with misconceptions. A report from the German “Welt” shows what life in Switzerland really feels like for Germans. The conclusion: moving abroad offers many opportunities – but it is not for everyone.

Nicolas Mauch (24) always wanted to live abroad. During the corona pandemic, he made the decision to move to Zurich, he reports to the “Welt”. “Actually, I wanted to travel again between my bachelor’s and master’s studies, Corona ruined that for me. That’s why I thought I could get started right away.” The UBS trainee is having a good time in his new adoptive country: “Zurich is beautiful. The mountains are close by and if I want to visit family and friends I can drive to Stuttgart in two hours.”

Low inflation and direct democracy

The German newspaper describes Switzerland as “unshakable” in the face of external influences. In particular, low inflation and the stability of the franc and direct democracy are emphasized. The so-called ‘cantonal spirit’ is also a subject of the report. The Confederates are happy as long as everything goes well in their canton, one emigrant told the newspaper.

The lucrative wages attract many people to Switzerland. The problem: the cost of living is also high. These are estimated to be 59 percent higher than the European average.

A lack of a personal environment is underestimated

Not all expats are satisfied with life in Switzerland. About 25,000 Germans leave the country every year. “About a third of German emigrants have disappeared after a year,” says Matthias Estermann (52) to “Welt”, who has lived in Switzerland for 26 years. As a bus driver and tour guide, he accompanies a wide variety of tourist groups through Lucerne.

Estermann also works as an integration consultant and advises: A plan B is essential when emigrating. “I paid quite a bit of tuition,” he explains. Many would underestimate the lack of a personal environment. He tells of a family that had moved to Switzerland. Both parents have found a job. “Three weeks after the move, my father called me and said they were going back to Germany because his wife couldn’t handle working eight hours a day,” Estermann describes the abrupt end of the Swiss adventure.

Personal responsibility as a determining factor

Personal responsibility plays a bigger role in Switzerland than anywhere else. This is reflected, for example, in health insurance. In this country you are responsible for such a thing. The short maternity leave and high extra costs can dampen the initial euphoria of living in Switzerland.

The reasons for emigration have changed recently. Wealthy Germans in particular feel increasingly attracted to Switzerland. Estermann says they are very concerned that at some point they will be expropriated by the state. Some would “simply no longer feel like going to Germany”.

The Behrens family emigrated from Schleswig-Holstein to Davos GR. The children wanted to live in the mountains. The decision to emigrate came about spontaneously, but the step was well-considered. The father immediately found a job as a physics teacher at his children’s future school. As a first step, you have moved into a furnished holiday home and want to decide in a year’s time whether you want to live permanently in Switzerland. (A)

Source: Blick